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Sunday, November 21, 2010

Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars

So I have been kinda MIA for the month right? Not going to bore you with the details but I have been busy. Really, really busy. But now my Mom is here. For the winter. And I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. You know how we all wish for an extra set of hands to help out? I finally have them!
Anyway, I have fallen in love with these granola bars and really needed to take a second to post them.
My friend Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod posted these one morning a while back and I made them that same day…for the first time. I have made them so often since then that I no longer need a recipe. They are a hit and my kids love them!Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars (Two Peas and Their Pod)Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups old fashioned oats 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt ¾ cup brown sugar ½ cup pumpkin puree ¼ cup applesauce ¼ cup honey 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup chocolate chipsDirections:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 by 8 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk oats, spices, and salt together. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, honey, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour over oats and stir well, until all of the oats are moist. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Evenly press oat mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. The pumpkin keeps the bars moist, so make sure they are golden and set-you don’t want them to be under baked. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
5. Using a sharp knife, cut into bars. Remove from pan and let cool completely.
***I have changed nothing with this recipe except to add mini chocolate chips sometimes and to bake them a bit longer. Maria has a new oven and I think it may work a bit better than mine…